U SPORTS Cross Country Championships
(Kingston, ON) The U Sports Cross Country Championships were hosted Saturday by Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario.
The race was hosted atop the historic Fort Henry site. With temperatures below freezing and wind gusts up to 70km/h, the conditions created a tactical race for both the women and men's races.
In the women's championship race, the Huskies sole representative, Bhreagh Burke, went shoulder to shoulder with some of the top distance athletes in the country. Burke went on to finish 119th in 32:22 over the 8km distance. The first-year athlete will certainly have gained valuable experience racing at her first national championship and we look forward to seeing what she does in the coming years. Brogan MacDougall of Queen's University won the women's race in 27:48, with the Laval Rouge-et-Or winning their first national championship with a score of 55 points.
In the men's championship race, the Huskies were represented by Andrew Peverill, Jonathan Peverill and Joe Stewart.
From the gun, Andrew Peverill situated himself with the lead pack and put himself in an excellent position to potentially capture an All-Canadian position (top 14). In an exciting finish, Andrew placed 19th in 31:58 over the 10km distance.
In just his second year, we look for Andrew to continue to make an impact at the U Sports level in the years to come. Jonathan Peverill, in his final cross country race wearing the maroon and white, finished 124th in 35:07, and Joe Stewart, the first year athlete racing at his first national championships for the Huskies, finished 139th in 35:57. Connor Black of the Guelph Gryphons won the men's race in 31:13, with the Calgary Dino's winning the national championship with a score of 75 points.
Well done to the four athletes who made it to the national championship and congratulations on an excellent season.